Zhang Zhugen quickly went to Li Ling's side and helped the girl up, then glanced at Zhang Hala, who had attacked her.
"I'll beat you to death, you bastard!"
Seeing Li Ling pushed down, Zhang Zhugen, for some reason, felt a fire ignite in his heart and charged directly at Zhang Hala.
Even his usually hot-tempered uncle, who feared his child causing trouble, didn't stop him this time. That little punk Zhang Hala deserved a beating!
Chen Yang and Zhang Shugen wanted to help, but it wasn't necessary. Zhang Zhugen alone was chasing Zhang Hala and beating him so badly that he was begging for mercy, not needing their help.
Besides, anyone with eyes could see that Li Ling's distressed appearance seemed to have ignited Zhang Zhugen's protective instincts.
This incident seemed to have fostered a connection between them, breaking down the clear boundaries that had always existed between them. It was a good thing.
Zhang Zhugen charged forward and knocked Zhang Hala down with one kick, then rained blows on him. Zhang Hala immediately started crying and wailing, completely losing his earlier arrogance and belligerence.
This kid really deserved a beating!
Zhang Zhugen's eyes turned red as he threw punches. The thought of Li Ling being pushed to the ground by Zhang Hala made his heart burn like a fire.
He didn't know why, but looking at the girl's delicate appearance and her attempt to protect him, his heart felt like an overturned bottle of mixed flavors, a complex and unsettling feeling.
"Ah~"
Zhang Hala was desperately begging for mercy, but Zhang Zhugen still wanted to continue. However, his fists were held back by Li Ling's two hands.
She held onto Zhang Zhugen's hands tightly to her chest. Seeing Zhang Zhugen fighting for her, Li Ling felt a sweetness in her heart, as if she had drunk honey.
She couldn't speak, but she wasn't foolish.
Her mother had told her that her future would be good, and that she would eventually find a man who would cherish her.
Li Ling felt that Zhang Zhugen was that man.
Originally, she only had a vague good impression of Zhang Zhugen, mainly because her aunt and uncle were understanding and her family, unlike others, did not look at her, a mute, with discrimination.
But today, she felt something different. Su Dan Novel Network.
She felt the man's responsibility and the feeling of being protected, which she had never experienced from anyone else besides her parents.
It was very strange.
It was very happy.
Zhang Zhugen was about to continue hitting, but he saw Li Ling shake her head solemnly at him.
For some reason, he seemed to understand the meaning of her actions instantly.
"Don't hit anymore. A few scolding words won't cost you anything. I'm used to it."
"If you hurt him badly, the police will arrest you."
Although she couldn't speak, her eyes seemed to convey her concern for him.
And the soft touch of her arms. He, a simple young man, had never even held a grown girl's hand before. Now, Li Ling was holding his arm.
Zhang Zhugen's mind was a bit hazy.
"Alright, alright, buddy, stop arguing. You're the one who blabbed too much, so you deserve to be beaten."
"It's the New Year, let's not bother the police. They need to celebrate too."
"Take this money and go to the hospital to get checked out. Get some medicine, and use the rest to recuperate. Don't be so gossipy in the future. What kind of man are you, not focusing on earning a living but on annoying people?"
Seeing that his cousin and the mute woman seemed to be sparking a bit of romance, Chen Yang felt that it was enough. Zhang Zhugen's fight had served its purpose.
As for the beaten Zhang Hala, they were all from the same village, seeing each other every day. If it really went to the police, spending a few days in jail during the New Year would be very inauspicious.
Besides, Zhang Zhugen was mostly the one doing the beating, and Zhang Hala hadn't taken too many hits. Knocking out his teeth was something that could be resolved privately with some medical expenses, which would be better than going to the police station.
"My nephew's teeth were knocked out. This matter won't be settled so easily."
"Zhang Laojue must bring Zhang Zhugen to our house to apologize, otherwise, we'll see them at the police station."
Seeing that Chen Yang was showing signs of backing down, Zhang Hala's relative became more demanding.
This was actually normal. If you lost a fight and got beaten, you'd act unreasonable to get more medical expenses.
Don't talk about now, even in later generations, it would be the same tactic.
"Uncle, let's not scare the ignorant ones here."
"They are both adults. Even if we go to the police station, your nephew was the one who provoked the fight first. Although Zhugen hit him, at most, they'll each get half the blame. Then, it won't be just one person who gets detained."
"At most, the police will detain both of them, and it will still be resolved with medical expenses and mediation."
"Now, if we settle this privately, it will be beneficial to everyone."
Chen Yang was not a hot-headed fool to be easily manipulated.
If his cousin beat someone up this badly and it went to the police station, he would inevitably have to spend a few days in the detention center. It would still require paying medical expenses, so it was better to settle it privately to avoid trouble.
"Then my nephew's beating can't be in vain. He needs medical expenses. His teeth are knocked out, how will he eat, how will he eat meat in the future?"
Zhang Hala's relative stood firm, his neck stiff. He didn't know anything about provoking fights.
However, ordinary people would only use the police station to scare others. Who would dare to go to the police station for no reason? They just wanted Zhang Laojue's family to pay more medical expenses.
"This is all. This matter is settled."
"If you make any more trouble, we'll see each other at the police station."
Chen Yang counted out six large "Da Tuan Jie" bills from his pocket. Zhang Hala had two teeth knocked out. In later generations, this would cost thousands, if not tens of thousands.
But in this era, people were lucky to have enough to eat. There weren't the various options for dental implants and fillings like in the future. If he gave too much, they might think he was stupid and try to extort more.
"That's more like it!"
Zhang Hala's relative saw Chen Yang readily pull out money and quickly took it from his hand and put it into Zhang Hala's pocket.
He had originally expected to get ten or twenty yuan for medical expenses. Their horizons were limited. The work points from the previous year only amounted to twenty yuan.
They all knew the situation of Zhang Laojue's family – they were dirt poor. Otherwise, why would both his sons be unable to find wives and then seek out a mute woman?
Getting sixty yuan at once far exceeded his expectations.
Chen Yang had nothing more to say. Zhang Laojue had two front teeth knocked out, and he would have a lisp in the future. In later generations, this would be worth a lot of compensation.
But this kid deserved it. Why was a grown man so gossipy? Consider it a lesson learned, so he would spread fewer rumors about other people's affairs in the future.
"Yang Yang, you're giving so much money..."
The aunt saw Chen Yang give out six "Da Tuan Jie" bills at once and her heart ached. Their entire family hadn't saved up so much money in years.
However, seeing how badly Zhang Hala was beaten, she couldn't bring herself to bargain, only thinking about how they would repay this money later.
"This matter is settled privately. From now on, we'll go our separate ways."
Zhang Hala spat out a mouthful of blood, quickly clutching the money in his pocket, afraid Chen Yang would go back on his word.
Chen Yang looked at the scene and didn't know whether to call him foolish or clever. Having two teeth knocked out and getting sixty yuan in compensation, he still acted like he had gotten a great deal.